The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of water retrieval devices and more particularly, to a release mechanism for a standard rescue tube. More particularly, the present invention assists a rescuer in protecting himself and the victim by the rescuer to disengage from a rescue attempt in the event of an error.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rescue tube is among the most used pieces of active/passive victim rescue equipment by aquatic professionals. It""s versatility, ease of use, and softness have made it a popular choice in many waterparks in America. Several variations of the popular tube design can be used in different situations.
A typical rescue tube includes a floatation member, connected to a thick shoulder strap by several feet of strap material which allows a lifeguard to get the flotation member to an active victim struggling in the water even if that person is beyond the lifeguard""s normal reach. The shoulder strap may be a loop of strap material that is large enough to fit around a lifeguard""s head and one shoulder.
The rescue tube serves several purposes. A rescue tube provides flotation for a victim and a rescuer. A victim who can keep his or her mouth above water feels less anxiety during a rescue attempt and will more easily follow directions from a rescuer. A rescue tube reduces the energy required to transport a victim to a safe area. A rescue tube reduces the chance of a victim grasping a rescue during a rescue attempt.
Using the current procedures and rescue tube configuration, the rescuer is trained to always keep the tube between the rescuer and the victim. The problem arises when the victim, through mistake by the rescuer or over action by the victim, is able to move inside of the tube, to grab the strap, and then pull up the strap until the victim is in contact with the rescuer. In that situation, the rescuer cannot easily remove the strap loop from under his arm. As a result, the rescuer and the victim are at risk of drowning.
While numerous innovations for aquatic retrieval devices have been provided in the prior art none of these existing inventions, however, describes the design or concept of the present invention. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,440 issued to Ettl on Mar. 28, 2000, incorporated herein by reference, describes a water rescue device, which discloses a slack eliminator. The slack eliminator mechanically coils any slack extension strap between the flotation member and the shoulder strap. The primary object of Patent ""440 is to allow a rescuer to quickly leave a lifeguard stand without risk of a dangling rescue tube being hung up on surrounding objects. The ""440 Patent does not involve an apparatus, which permits a rescuer to disengage from a victim during a rescue attempt.
Several types of release mechanisms have been developed for use with parachutes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,102 issued to Brownell on Jan. 31, 1984 discloses a quick release device, which may be releasably engaged to transmit a tensile force. The ""102 Patent incorporates a complex interaction of various parts, rather than a simple innovative design. Similarly, other release mechanisms such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,913 issued to Booth on Jul. 6, 1982 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,865 issued to Smith on Apr. 21, 1981 do not incorporate the simple yet innovative design of the present invention for use with a rescue tube.
A hook and loop, such as Velcro(copyright), has found many applications and been incorporated into numerous patents. Typical examples of a hook and loop being incorporated into a simple yet novel and nonobvious device are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,955 issued to Plotka et al. on Jul. 18, 1995 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,292 issued to Hall on Jul. 13, 1995. However, neither invention referenced nor any other existing device incorporates the simple yet innovative design of the present invention for use with a rescue tube.
A typical rescue tube is a vinyl, foam-filled, buoyant support. Typically, a tow line and shoulder strap are attached to the support to aid in its use. Attractive features of the typical rescue tube, features maintained in present invention, are its ease of use and multiple person rescue capability. The typical rescue tube can support up to 5 people. A preferred embodiment of the present invention incorporates a buoyant support, a connection strap having a distal end and a proximate end, and a means for attaching the shoulder strap. A functional shoulder strap is formed by looping the distal end and attaching the distal end to the proximate end with a hook and loop fastener, such as Velcro(copyright). Means for disengaging said hook and loop fastener provides a rescuer with the ability to quickly and easily eliminate the dangers associated with a failed rescue attempt.
An object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to allow a rescuer to quickly and safely to disengage from a rescue tube while attempting to save a victim.
Another object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a simple yet effective release mechanism, which may enable a rescuer to disengage from a dangerous situation.
Another object of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide a rescue tube in which the shoulder strap may be easily adjusted to various sizes to accommodate people of various sizes.
A still further object of a preferred embodiment of the invention is to provide a rescue tube in which a rescuer may quickly disengage from the tube""s shoulder strap.